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UK government to support Airbus contract for Turkish satellites

The Airbus logo is pictured at Airbus headquarters in Blagnac near Toulouse, France, March 20, 2019. REUTERS/Regis Duvignau

LONDON (Reuters) - The British government will support an Airbus contract to manufacture and deliver two satellites for Turkish communications company Turksat, trade minister Liam Fox said on Thursday.

"UK Export Finance will support an Airbus Defence and Space UK contract worth nearly $500 million (£388 million) to manufacture and deliver two satellites and a ground station for Turksat," Fox told parliament.

Fox's department said UK Export Finance was providing a guarantee to support a loan of $325 million to the Turkish Ministry of Treasury and Finance to enable the purchase.

Turksat CEO Cenk Sen said in a statement the satellites would be used to provide television services and improve broadband data services in Turkey, the Middle East, Europe and large regions of Africa.

(Reporting by Kylie MacLellan; editing by William James and Elizabeth Piper)